About Us

Welcome To The Official COPS Web Page!

COPS is produced by Langley Productions and broadcast by Fox (with repeats from earlier seasons syndicated to other networks, including truTV (formerly CourtTV) and G4. One of the first (and only) true and UNSCRIPTED reality shows, it follows the activities of police officers by embedding camera crews with police units.

The show’s formula follows the Cinéma vérité convention, with no narration or scripted dialog, depending entirely on the commentary of the officers and on the actions of the people with whom they come into contact.

COPS is an American documentary television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff’s deputies during patrols and other police activities. It is one of the longest-running television programs in the United States and the second longest-running show on Fox. Created by John Langley and Malcolm Barbour, it premiered on Saturday March 11, 1989.

COPS has followed officers in 140 different cities in the United States, and also has been shot in Hong Kong, London, and the former Soviet Union. Each episode is approximately 22 minutes in length, and typically consists of three segments, with each segment being one or two self-contained police incidents.

The show is well known for its theme song, “Bad Boys,” performed by reggae group Inner Circle.

COPS won the American Television Award in 1993, and has earned four Emmy nominations.

Langley Productions is one of the U.S.’s premiere independent non-fiction production companies.

Originally founded in 1983 as Barbour-Langley Productions, the company produced the award-winning documentary feature COCAINE BLUES. The critical success of Cocaine Blues lead to a series of highly rated specials for network and first-run syndication, including the live Geraldo Rivera programs AMERICAN VICE, INNOCENCE LOST, SONS OF SCARFACE, DEVIL WORSHIP, MURDER: LIVE FROM DEATH ROW and MODERN LOVE and the AMERICAN EXPOSE series of specials with Jack Anderson, including WHO KILLED JFK? and TARGET USA, an inside look at terrorism.

In 1988, after years of rejection, Langley finally found a home for COPS on the newly launched Fox Broadcasting network. The long-running “reality” program was truly groundbreaking at the time, and pioneered the often-emulated video verite technique. Other documentary-style projects soon followed including improv comedy series NIGHT PROWLERS and real life rescue series CODE 3.